Tirupati laddu ghee probe | Anil Kumar Singhal shunted out as TTD chief
Abrupt removal comes just as SIT submits report on Tirumala ghee controversy, triggering political and administrative debate in Andhra Pradesh
The Andhra Pradesh government has suddenly transferred Anil Kumar Singhal, Executive Officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). He has been asked to report to the General Administration Department without an alternative posting and directed to step down from his duties with immediate effect.
Additional Executive Officer Venkayya Chowdary has been asked to take charge, while Muddanada Ravichandra, Special Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, has been appointed as interim EO.
Also read | Tirupati laddu case: In final chargesheet, CBI names TTD employees, ghee suppliers as accused
Andhra Pradesh political circles are abuzz over the sudden removal of Singhal, a 1993-batch IAS officer.
Probe backdrop
The timing of the transfer has drawn attention as it coincides with the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitting its chargesheet in the Tirumala ghee adulteration case. The probe was ordered after Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu alleged in September 2024 that animal fat was used in the preparation of Tirupati laddus during the previous government’s tenure.
The SIT concluded that while adulteration did take place in ghee supplied to the Tirumala shrine by certain companies, it did not involve animal fats. According to the report, there was no presence of pig fat or fish oil; only palmolein oil and palm kernel oil were detected.
This finding is seen as somewhat embarrassing for Chandrababu Naidu, given the seriousness of the earlier allegations.
Appointment questions
This has revived questions about how Singhal was appointed as TTD EO for a second time by Chandrababu Naidu. Though Singhal served briefly as EO during the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government, the alleged adulteration occurred during that period.
Also read | Laddu loyalty: Tirupati prasadam demand beats adulteration politics
Despite this, Shyamala Rao was removed and Singhal was reappointed in September 2025. Political circles say Singhal’s lack of strong national-level connections may have worked in his favour at the time.
The SIT report reportedly makes uncomfortable remarks about Singhal. It notes that he failed to detect the supply of adulterated ghee to TTD while he was EO during the previous regime.
Disciplinary action
The report also states that Singhal could not function independently and merely echoed the then board leadership. It is learnt that the SIT even recommended disciplinary action against him in a communication to the government.
Observers believe these comments in the SIT report are the immediate reason behind Singhal’s sudden transfer.
Singhal was first appointed TTD Executive Officer in May 2017 when the Telugu Desam Party was in power. He continued in the post until October 2020, even after Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy became Chief Minister.
This article was originally published in The Federal Andhra Pradesh.